Chapter 198 The Road to the Provincial Examination Begins
On the fourth day of November, in the middle of winter, the yellow bell in the law is heard.
At this time, the sky had just broken, and the north wind with traces of winter began to howl. The outside was blown cold by the north wind, and the sky was a little gloomy, as if the weather was about to change.
It's November in Yingtian. It's surprisingly cold today. It's a bit strangely cold. The temperature seems to have dropped overnight.
On this cold morning, the Enke Township Examination officially kicked off. The provincial examination is divided into three sessions, and each session takes three days including two overnight stays. In this way, the three sessions take a total of nine days including six nights. This kind of exam is a comprehensive game of intelligence, physical strength, and physical fitness. For the candidates, this game starts in the morning when they line up outside the Gongyuan. There were people queuing up early in the morning and even last night, because all the candidates taking the examination had to take the test in this Gongyuan. There were more than 10,000 people, and there was a long queue. Everyone wanted to enter the examination room earlier. , one is to get familiar with the examination room, and the other is that it is not safe outside.
When there are many people, chaos is likely to occur. Even if there are government officials and heavily armed sergeants to suppress it, there is still crowding and chaos outside the gate of Gongyuan. The exam has not even started yet. Last night, more than a dozen candidates were injured in the crowd and suffered head injuries. Blood flow.
Zhu Pingan and Fatty Xue Chi came to line up around early in the morning. After arriving, they lined up separately. Before the crowding was serious, Zhu Pingan ran to a corner to hide. After being suppressed by the reinforcing sergeants, he ran back to the queue and lined up.
The weather was very cold, and the clothes Zhu Pingan wore were thicker. They were made of rabbit fur by his mother, Chen. Compared with other students, Zhu Pingan was much warmer. In addition to clothes, Zhu Ping'an also brought two rabbit skin blankets, which were used for sleeping in the examination room, one as a bed and the other as a cover. certainly. Other items such as food and exam supplies were also brought together one by one, and the food was very rich
It was around three o'clock in the morning. Hearing the sound of a drum from the Mingyuan Tower of Jiangnan Gongyuan, the sergeant of the government office began to check the candidates as they entered.
It was around six o'clock that we got to Zhu Pingan. Zhu Ping'an brought a lot of things, and the sergeant in charge of the inspection checked them for a long time. The people in line behind him were very dissatisfied. They felt that Zhu Ping'an brought too many things, including two rugs. The yamen sergeant checked them for a long time. In addition, we brought so much food that the yamen servants became chefs, duh duh. The waist knife is just for him to cut pastries, meat jerky and the like
There were so many complaints like this that Zhu Pingan was somewhat used to it.
About fifteen or six minutes, Zhu Pingan's things were checked, and the yamen let Zhu Pingan enter.
However, something went wrong when entering the venue.
An examiner named Hu who was responsible for checking candidates at the door stopped Zhu Pingan. This examiner was serious about his work and it might be better to be rigid. When invigilating the exam, the age and appearance of the candidates will be checked very strictly according to the roster.
"Your record. You are short and fat, and your face is beardless. However, when I look at you today, why do you say you are fat? Are you taking the test for me?" Invigilator Hu stopped Zhu Ping'an with a stern voice. He asked harshly.
To be honest, it was an accident. Zhu Ping'an did not foresee at all that such problems had never occurred in the county examination, government examination, and hospital examination before. but. Despite the suddenness, Zhu Pingan was not panicked at all.
"No. The student is Zhu Ping'an. After the college examination, the student studied day and night and lost weight; and Zhu Zi noted the meaning of "wuye" in micro, and those who are slightly fat are not fat; also Please tell me, sir." Zhu Pingan answered calmly and calmly. After all, he is Zhu Ping'an, and this cannot be wrong.
"Well, that makes sense, but are you stupid?" The examiner named Hu looked at Zhu Pingan and nodded, but then asked another question.
Zhu Pingan could only show his signature silly smile.
“Yes.” The examiner nodded and allowed entry.
Finally, there was no danger. After Zhu Ping'an entered the room, he was led into a dormitory by a guard. This is a relatively good dormitory. It is far away from the "stinky dormitory", which is the toilet. It is considered a first-class dormitory.
Putting everything in the dormitory, Zhu Pingan looked around. Just like the last college examination, the dormitory was very narrow, with only two wooden boards at the top and bottom. The upper board was used as a place to write the answer sheet. The table is used as a chair, and the two boards are put together as a bed at night. The difference is that now there is a pot of charcoal fire and two candles in the dormitory. Charcoal fires can be used for both heating and cooking. The examination room does not provide food. You have to take care of what you eat. At most, the examination room provides some water. The officials who patrol the inspection outside are only responsible for discipline in the examination room. As long as you don't cheat, they don't care what you do.
After entering the examination room and until the end of the examination, Zhu Pingan will spend his time in this small dormitory.
At about nine o'clock, all the candidates outside were admitted. While waiting for the exam, Zhu Ping'an heard from several yamen officials that seven or eight candidates with cheat sheets had been found during the inspection. Five other candidates who took the exam for the exam were also found and locked up in a small cell in Gongyuan to wait for the relevant departments to take action. .
Unexpectedly, some people really cheated. In the future, these people will have no chance to take the scientific examination, and they may even be exiled and sent to the army.
Now thinking about the scene at the gate, Zhu Ping'an felt a little sweaty on his back. If it weren't for my quick wit, I'm afraid it would be hard to say. He is Zhu Pingan. This is undeniable and can be proven, but if he proves it, he may miss the exam.
After all the candidates enter at nine o'clock, the door will be locked. It will not be opened until the end of the exam, even if there is a fire or flood in the Gongyuan.
There are people coming and going upstairs in Mingyuan. There are two examiners for this exam, four co-examiners, and a coordinator who is responsible for the supply of the examination room. In addition, there are also people responsible for taking papers, sealing, transcribing, reading, patrolling prison gates, and searching for suspected officials. After the exam started, the elderly examiner signaled to the officer to play the drum, and the exam officially started after the drum sounded. The examiner and other officials responsible for the examination began their duties in an orderly manner. Most of them looked at the candidates below with a sense of nostalgia, watching the junior students starting their military training with the sophomores and juniors. The feeling is almost the same.
After the drum sounded, the government officials began to hand out test papers and draft papers one after another.
Then, the test questions are announced.
Today is the first session of the Enke Township Examination. According to the usual practice, the questions in this session are: "The Four Books" has three meanings and the Classics has four meanings.
When the government servant holding the test questions came over, Zhu Pingan quickly and neatly copied the test questions on the scratch paper.
This year is the same as in previous years. This event is also about the three ways of meaning and the four ways of classics and meanings in the "Four Books". Classical meaning is a subject in the imperial examination. The questions are based on scriptures and sentences, and the candidates write essays to explain the meaning. Of course, you have to use eight-legged writing style. These questions need to be answered in three days and two nights. No matter how you answer them or how you arrange your time, as long as you don't cheat, you can do whatever you want.
Because Zhu Ping'an hasn't eaten anything from early morning to now, so after copying the test questions, he cleaned up the things, laid a piece of cloth on the table, and then put the food he brought on Roast it on the charcoal fire for a while and eat it.
After eating and drinking, Zhu Pingan cleaned the table, spread it with pens, ink, paper and inkstones, and officially started his road to the provincial examination. (End of chapter)